City Council unanimously approves Reyes' motion to ban plastic bags in
City by 2010, and polystyrene in City facilities by July 1, 2009:

Councilmember Ed P. Reyes' motion to ban polystyrene food containers in
all City facilities beginning July 1, 2009 was unanimously approved by
the City Council.

The City Council, by a 13-0 vote, also approved an amendment introduced
by Reyes that bans plastic bags by July 1, 2010, if the State has
not imposed a fee of at least 25 cents by then.

"Plastic bags have been the graffiti of the L.A. River for decades,"
said Reyes, who chairs the L.A. River Ad Hoc Committee. The plan requires
officials to replace food containers made of polystyrene -- commonly known
by the brand Styrofoam -- at city-owned facilities such as Los Angeles
International Airport (LAX), public libraries, the Convention Center and
City-sponsored events.

`We've gotten to a point where we need to act as a city, where we can
have real results. We're trying to do it in a way where we can educate
and inform the public of what we're doing,'' Reyes said. ``It's going to
take time to change.''

After the citywide ban of plastic bags July 2010, consumers will have to
use their own canvas bags or pay 25 cents for a paper, compostable or
biodegradable bag. Of that fee, 3 percent would go to the retailer, 3
percent will go to the state, and the rest of the money will go back to
the city to fund an education campaign.

The plastic bag and polystyrene bans complement the ongoing Los Angeles
River Revitalization Master Plan, spearheaded by Reyes, which proposes
transforming 32 miles of the concrete-lined River into a greenbelt
linking communities.

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